Gala reject Prem links

Galatasaray have moved to reject rumours linking them with moves for Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin and Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov.

Recent reports have credited the Turkish giants with summer moves for Arshavin and Berbatov who both face uncertain futures at their clubs.

Arshavin is due to return to Arsenal this summer after a loan spell at Zenit St Petersburg, while Berbatov has found himself well down the pecking order at Old Trafford over the last 12 months.

The likes of AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato and Real Madrid hit-man Gonzalo Higuain have also been linked with Galatasaray and the Turks have now released a statement

"Reports regarding the club's interest in a number of players, such as Andrey Arshavin, Dimitar Berbatov, Alexandre Pato and Gonzalo Higuain, does not reflect the truth," read a statement on Galatasaray's official website

by: skysports

Nani 'very happy' at United

Portugal winger Nani says he is 'very happy' at Manchester United after confirming negotiations regarding a new contract are ongoing.

Nani is approaching 200 appearances for the Red Devils after joining from Sporting Lisbon five years ago and has become an increasingly important member of the team.

The 25-year-old has been in talks with the Red Devils over an extension, but there have been reports that Nani is worried the club will sell him this summer.

He believes he has the backing of manager Sir Alex Ferguson and is waiting to see how discussions over a new deal pan out.

by: skysports

Park agrees QPR move

Sky Sports can confirm that Manchester United ace Park Ji-sung has agreed a move to Queens Park Rangers.

QPR have agreed a deal with United, reportedly worth £2million, and have made quick progress in agreeing terms.

Sky Sports understands Park has agreed a three-year deal with the West London outfit, and he will become QPR's latest acquisition.

Park also becomes the second player to arrive from Old Trafford in the space of a week, after they concluded a season-long loan for Fabio.

The move ends a seven-year stay at United for Park, who has become hugely popular following his move from PSV Eindhoven. Park played over 200 games for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

by: skysports

Juve head RVP chase

Sky Sports understands that Juventus are heading the chase to land Robin van Persie, should the Dutchman leave Arsenal this summer.

The Gunners captain declared earlier this week that he would not be renewing his contract with the club - which has just 12 months left to run.

Since his announcement a host of clubs have been linked, but Sky Sports understands that just three clubs are currently challenging for his signature - Juventus, Manchester City and Manchester United.

All three have been in the reckoning all summer and that has not changed.

Both City and United are set to offer him the chance to remain in England, should he leave the Emirates, but Juve are pushing hard with Italian sources claiming their offer would make him one of the highest players in Europe.

Van Persie has made it clear that silverware is the most important thing to him at this point - although all three clubs would be well in contention next season to challenge for every honour.

The player himself is currently on holiday and is due to return to England next week, when more talks with Arsenal are likely.

by: skysports

Park heading to QPR

QPR are set to complete the marquee signing of Manchester United's Park Ji-sung, Press Association Sport understands.

The South Korea international will move to Loftus Road for a fee of £2million once the relevant paperwork has been completed.

Park, who won four Premier League titles and a Champions League during his time at United, is understood to have been swayed to join QPR by their ambitious plans.

by: football.co.uk

Fryers agrees Spurs move

Sky Sports revealed back in April that Tottenham were leading the chase for Fryers after he turned down a new deal at Old Trafford.

Fryers' contract expired earlier this summer and United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted earlier this week he was in the dark over the player's future

The 19-year-old, who has come through the youth ranks at United, made six first-team appearances for the Red Devils last season, making his full debut in the Carling Cup win over Leeds.

Tottenham are thought to be long-term admirers of Fryers with his versatility in being able to play left-back or centre-back making him an attractive proposition.

New Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas has given the go-ahead to push through the move and Fryers is expected to become the latest new face at White Hart Lane.

Fryers is believed to have agreed a four-year deal at Tottenham and is expected to finalise the move in the next few days.

United will be due a compensation fee for Fryers and, if they are unable to agree a deal with Spurs, the move could go to a transfer tribunal to decide the fee for the player's switch to North London.

by: skysports

United continue to monitor Moutinho

Sir Alex Ferguson told MUTV earlier this week that he hopes to add two more faces to his squad before the start of the new season after already bringing Nick Powell and Shinji Kagawa to Old Trafford.

Rumour has it that Portugal and Porto Midfielder Joao Moutinho is his top target now (according to articles on the Dailymail and the Sun).

Ferguson said: 'We're working on one or two things but there's nothing really to tell you to be honest. 

'We always try to get our work done at the end of the season – we spent a good deal of time sorting the deal with Shinji and we'd agreed a deal with Nick Powell before the play-offs which was a good move by us because the boy had an outstanding final at Wembley.

'When you don't get deals done immediately and you're negotiating with a club over a long period, then you can't expect to just snap your fingers and get it done,' he said.

It seems that a move for Moutinho has come off the back of utd becoming fed up with Spurs demands over the fee for Luka Modric, which was originally ment to be in the region of £25m rising to £30m.

But Spurs have now quoted £40m for the Croatian and United will not pay that.


by: football.co.uk

Best team in the world

Transfer Rumours: Joao Moutinho To Move To Manchester United

After helping Portugal reach the semi finals in Portugal's latest campaign for glory its no surprise that Sir Alex Ferguson has show great interest in signing Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho.

The interest in Moutinho also comes after Fergie's fight to sign Luka Modric for Tottenham for £40 million but still to no avail. After the frustration of his on-going battle to sign the Croatian midfielder Fergie looked into signing another Portugese player for his squad which includes Portuguese team mate Nani.

According to The Sun, Manchester United have started talks for the attacking midfielder with his current club Porto, They started the talks with The Red Devils offering £25 million.

Sir Alex is going to have some competition for Mourtinho's signature though as both Tottenham and Chelsea have also shown great interest in him.

by: football.co.uk

Rafael signs four-year United deal

Rafael has signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United, tying the full-back to Old Trafford until the end of the 2015/16 season.

The 21-year-old Brazilian has been with the Red Devils since 2008, when he left Fluminense with twin brother Fabio to sign for United.

Rafael made 18 appearances last season in the Community Shield, Barclays Premier League, Carling Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has frequently spoken about his high hopes for the brothers and is delighted to have agreed terms with Rafael.

The Scot told ManUtd.com: "Rafael is one of the club's brightest young prospects; he has no fear of playing and has great belief in himself.

"The boy has developed immensely since joining United, his energy and enthusiasm are a joy to watch. Rafael has all the attributes to become one of the best full-backs in the world and I am delighted he has signed a new contract."

The right-back is equally pleased to have secured his future.

"I am so happy to sign a new contract," Rafael added. "I love playing for Manchester United, there is a great team spirit here and a real desire to win.

"My time here has been unbelievable; winning two league titles, a league cup and a Club World Cup has made me hungry for more trophies. I would like to thank Sir Alex for his belief in me and I would also like to thank the fans for their support."

by: football.co.uk

Ferguson defends Berbatov

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insistsDimitar Berbatov has not been unfairly treated at the club, praising the "fantastic talent" of the striker whom he expects to be involved in their pre-season tour.

The Bulgaria international has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford for several months having fallen down the pecking order last season. There were murmurings of discontent from the 31-year-old, who scored nine times in just 21 appearances in the previous campaign - despite being the league's joint top scorer the year before.

But Ferguson has defended his handling of Berbatov, and he told MUTV: "I don't think I treated Dimitar unfairly but he can feel disappointed that he didn't get more football. He's a fantastic footballer. It wasn't a great season for him last season, partly because I settled more with Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck...and Chicharito (Javier Hernandez)."

He added: "He's a fantastic talent. Nothing has happened with Dimitar and he'll join the tour to South Africa and China."

United's pre-season tour begins with two games in South Africa against AmaZulu FC and Ajax Cape Town before they move on to China to face Shanghai Shenhua, Norway where they will play Valerenga, Sweden to take on Barcelona and finishing in Germany against Hannover 96.

The travelling party has yet to be confirmed - as have shirt numbers for the majority of United's squad.

Only three have been confirmed so far with winger Antonio Valencia requesting the iconic seven shirt - worn by club greats such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo - after it became available following Michael Owen's departure when his contract expired this summer.

New signings Nick Powell and Shinji Kagawa will wear 25 and 26 respectively. There could be some new additions to that squad list, however, as Ferguson is working on bringing in at least a couple more players before the start of the season.

When asked if he is hoping to make further signings Ferguson added: "Yes, there's a possibility. We're working on one or two things but there's nothing really to tell you to be honest.

"We always try to get our work done at the end of the season - we spent a good deal of time sorting the deal with Shinji and we'd agreed a deal with Nick Powell before the play-offs which was a good move by us because the boy had an outstanding final at Wembley."

by: football.co.uk

United to float in New York

Manchester United have filed with the US government to list shares on the New York stock exchange.

In documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, United said listing in New York would raise up to $100m (£64m) which would be used to repay some of the club's debt.

The club had earlier been considering floating on the Singapore exchange but the idea was abandoned because of volatility in the markets.

Under the proposed reorganisation, the team would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manchester United Ltd, a newly-formed holding company based in the Cayman Islands.

The American Glazer family, which bought the club in 2005, would retain control over the club through Class B shares, which would have 10 times the voting power of the shares that would be sold to the public.

The club was listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1991 until June 2005, when Glazer completed a leveraged buy-out valued at $1.47b.

United has been looking to raise funds to help reduce debts from the 2005 takeover that were £423m as of March 31.

The club was valued at $2.24b by Forbes magazine in April, ranking it as football's most valuable club for the eighth year in a row.

United will become the first sports club to list shares in New York since the Cleveland Indians baseball team in 1998.

by: skysports 

United confirm Pogba exit

Manchester United have confirmed Paul Pogba has completed his move to Juventus.

Pogba's future at Old Trafford has been the subject of speculation for some time with a move to Juventus strongly mooted.

United have now confirmed Pogba has sealed his switch to Turin after seeing out his contract at Old Trafford.

Pogba left Le Havre to join United's youth academy in 2009 and was highly-rated by United's coaching staff.

United were keen to keep hold of Pogba, but the 19-year-old rejected their offer of a new contract to join Italian champions Juventus.

Pogba made seven appearances for United last season, but the talented midfielder has decided to leave in search of regular first-team football

Sir Alex Ferguson has aimed a swipe at Pogba accusing the French youngster of not showing the club 'any respect at all.'

"It's disappointing. I don't think he showed us any respect at all. To be honest, if they carry on that way, they're probably better doing it away from us.""Paul Pogba signed for Juventus a long time ago as far as we're aware," Ferguson told MUTV.

Fryers uncertainty

Ferguson also revealed he is yet to hear anything from young defender Zeki Fryers about his future with the full back also out of contract.

Sky Sports understands Fryers has rejected United's offer of a new deal and is weighing up a move to Tottenham.

Ferguson admits he is in the dark about Fryer's long-term future.

"We haven't heard anything from Zeki Fryers," added Ferguson. "I don't know what's happening there but he's not been in touch with the club. His agent hasn't been in touch with the club and I can only assume he'll be back for training today."

by: skysports

Fergie eyes more signings

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he is keen to continue the reinforcement of his squad this summer.

The Premier League giants have already signed attacking midfielders Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell, and now the Scotsman has said that he is working on recruiting some other players.

When asked on MUTV if he will make more signings, Ferguson replied: "Yes, there's a possibility. We're working on one or two things but there's nothing really to tell you to be honest.

"We always try to get our work done at the end of the season - we spent a good deal of time sorting the deal with Shinji and we'd agreed a deal with Nick Powell before the play-offs which was a good move by us because the boy had an outstanding final at Wembley.

"When you don't get deals done immediately and you're negotiating with a club over a long period, then you can't expect to just snap your fingers and get it done."

by: skysports

Fabio joins Hoops on loan

Manchester United defender Fabio da Silva will spend the upcoming campaign on loan at QPR after penning a season-long deal.

The Brazilian full-back, who can play on either side of the back four, has notched up 53 first-team matches for the Red Devils but has rarely been a first-choice starter.

The 21-year-old, who arrived at Old Trafford in 2008 from boyhood club Fluminense, will now have the chance to push for consistent senior football at Loftus Road.

Fabio joined United alongside twin brother Rafael - who penned a new four-year deal at Old Trafford earlier on Monday.

Opportunity

His arrival at Loftus Road has been hailed by Rangers boss Mark Hughes, who told the club's official website: "It's a great opportunity for us to loan a good, young player, who has decent experience of playing for a top club like Manchester United.

"He's played a lot of senior games for United, so it shows the quality he's got.

"I know they think very highly of him and we believe he has all the attributes to be a success here next season.

"First and foremost, he's a good defender. He's got great enthusiasm as well, and just like his brother, he's a top professional.

"We can give him the games he's craving at this stage of his career, so it benefits everybody.

"He's very versatile - he can play left or right-back and he's also been utilised in midfield by Sir Alex (Ferguson) in the past, so we know what we're getting, and that's a very good player."

Fabio sees the move - and the chance of establishing himself in the Premier League - as important to his development.

"I'm so happy to be here," he said.

"This loan is so important for me in terms of my career. I want to play as many games as possible here. I want to play well and win games as well.

"It's a good move for my career and for my confidence.

History

"Sir Alex Ferguson said that I'd enjoy it here and told me to play as many games as I can. I know that QPR is a club with great history. I read about the history and that's why I'm here.

"I also came here because I'm ambitious. I want to help QPR progress up the Premier League.

"Hopefully the fans will enjoy watching me in action, because I'll do my best."

by: skysports

Rafael commits to United

Brazilian full-back Rafael has signed a new four-year contract at Manchester United to keep him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2016.

The 21-year-old has been with the Red Devils since 2008, when he left Fluminense with twin brother Fabio to sign for United.

Rafael made 18 appearances last season and has now committed his future to the club by signing a new long-term deal.

He believes he can enjoy further success with United and has thanked Sir Alex Ferguson for helping him to develop.

"I am so happy to sign a new contract," he told the club's official website. "I love playing for Manchester United, there is a great team spirit here and a real desire to win.

"My time here has been unbelievable; winning two league titles, a league cup and a Club World Cup has made me hungry for more trophies.

"I would like to thank Sir Alex for his belief in me and I would also like to thank the fans for their support."

A joy to watch

He said: "Rafael is one of the club's brightest young prospects; he has no fear of playing and has great belief in himself.Ferguson is also thrilled with the deal and has backed Rafael to keep progressing over the next few years.

"The boy has developed immensely since joining United, his energy and enthusiasm are a joy to watch.

"Rafael has all the attributes to become one of the best full-backs in the world and I am delighted he has signed a new contract."

by: skysports

United confirm Owen exit

Manchester United have thanked Michael Owen for his service and wished him well for the future after confirming the release of the striker and three other players.

Owen announced at the end of last season that he would be leaving Old Trafford after the club decided not to offer him a new contract.

He had not featured for the Red Devils since November due to a thigh injury but has ruled out retirement and reports suggest he could join Stoke this summer.

Owen joined United in 2009 and has been an important squad player over the past three years, having previously played for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle.

United have also confirmed the departure of Tomasz Kuszczak, who has already been snapped up by Championship club Brighton after five years at Old Trafford.

Fellow goalkeepers Liam Jacob and Joe Coll, both 18, have also been released by United.

Oldham have agreed a deal to bring in promising Australian Jacob on a one-year contract.

by: skysports

Gerrard - don't blame Rooney

Captain Steven Gerrard believes it is unfair to blame Wayne Rooney for England's Euro 2012 exit.

Rooney, who was banned for the first two games of the tournament, was not at his best against Ukraine and Italy, who beat the Three Lions on penalties in the quarter-finals.

That has led some to blame Rooney for England's failure to progress further, but Gerrard believes the Manchester Unitedstriker is judged by higher standards than the rest of the squad.

Gerrard said in The Sun Sunday: "I just think that ever since Wayne has been around, and because of his performances in Euro 2004, there is an expectation that he comes to these tournaments and wins them all on his own.

"I just think that's unfair - especially when it goes wrong and people then point to Wayne and his performances and blame him.

"But the responsibility has to be on all 23 players. It's unfair to look at Wayne and say because he didn't play well it's the reason why we haven't won.

"So it's only normal that at times Wayne is brought down because of that expectation, because everyone expects and wants him to do well.""I've mentioned on many occasions that at this level the biggest thing is to play without expectation, without fear.

Meanwhile, former England striker Alan Shearer has warned he believes the team is going backwards.

Shearer is baffled by the praise Roy Hodgson's men received for their battling performances at the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

He told The Sun Sunday: "If we accept this level of performance, then we have given up on England.

"Have we dropped so far down the pecking order that we are applauding England for trying hard and being well-organised?"

He continued: "I cannot remember the last time the nation celebrated the team getting out of our group.

"That used to be the least that was expected. Now it seems to be a pointer that we are heading in the right direction.

"Well, we are not. We are getting progressively worse if you look at our performances in the last three major tournaments we qualified for."

by: skysports